Fear – Page 3 – Witkowski Blog

March 1, 2016March 1, 2016 Peter Witkowski Apologetics

Trump, Chicken Little, & A Quick Reality Check

During their recent walk through the Republican primary forest, the happy little chicks of evangelicalism were w Chick little acked on the head by the Trump nut. And now they are scurrying in every direction, calling for all to flee the coming Trumpmania doom. The sky is falling! The Sky is falling!

And though I have am not eager to see Trump become the next president, I think evangelicals need to back away from all the predictions of doom. The sky is not falling. God still reigns. Yes, America could take a turn for the worse under President Trump. We may see Religious, social, and personal freedoms all venture into the fox’s den never to be seen again. But God still rules (Is. 46:8-11). God appoints and tears down nations for his purpose. The even better news is that the worst, most despicable rulers can and are used by God to advance His purposes. No matter how successful Trump becomes, he can never dethrone God. We need to place our trust in Christ.

What does this look like?

1. Express Opinions With Grace.

As American’s, we have the freedom to speak into our political system. We should exercise such freedom, advocating for Christian liberties, fighting for justice, and voting for the candidates that best represent us. But such political engagement must be tempered by Christian speech. Paul’s command to “Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place,” extends to our political discourse (Eph. 5:4). At the end of the day, we need to only offend people with the good news of the gospel and not our political philosophy. When this election cycle is over, we are going to have to work with Trump supporters and a whole host of people with a host of political backgrounds. Let’s not limit our future ability to reach the nations by planting seeds of discord on Facebook and Twitter. One day soon, we will need to work together with the duck, the hen, and maybe even a fox or two to advance the gospel. Will we be able to?

2. Hope In God.

If we get worked up into a sinful frenzy over any political candidate, party, or issue, we have a worship donald trump problem. When we are expecting this candidate, that party, or those issues to save us through restoring the economy, expanding freedom, or defending decency, we are seeking after an earthly rescuer. And though I am for all these things, we shouldn’t believe any of these things will really save us. No amounts of cash, free press, or marital laws will fulfill us. Longing for these things above all will not lead us to peace. Rather, they land us in turmoil deep within the fox’s den.

Hence, Christ tells us to layup treasures in heaven instead of earth (Matt. 6:19-20. Our ultimate hope is not a better economy; our hope is the perfect savior and the new heavens. As long as Jesus reigns and is working all things together for our good, we can be joyful people. Let’s stop looking hopefully at little politicians who promise what they cannot deliver. And let’s turn our eyes heavenward toward the God who has already delivered what he promised. What are you hoping in?

3. Don’t Fear Evil.

I fully understand that a Trump Presidency is a scary prospect. In large part, we don’t know what we are getting. But regardless of what “Make America Great Again” actually translates into, we don’t have to be afraid. Even if Trump is Hitler (I don’t think he is; see point 1.) God’s church will be fine. Think about Abraham, Joseph, Daniel, Paul, John Huss, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the Chinese underground church and the many others who have thrived under unjust empires. They all were and are being used by God in the midst of pagan kingdoms to advance His glory. If anything, the destruction of America may actual grow God’s church exponentially.

I hope our future is not dark. I do not long for our country’s collapse. I don’t want the duck and hen to waddle down into the fox’s den. I want my kids, grand kids, and neighbors to enjoy the wealthiest, freest, and most just society ever. But if God has other plans, we will be ok. After all, even the worst dictator can only kill the body. He can never separate us from the love of God (Rom 8:38-39). At some point in the not too distant future, God will descend from the sky and set the world aright. What should we really be afraid of?

The political landscape may not look very cheery today. But, the sky is not falling. Christ is still reigning brightly above! Do evangelical really need to keep scurrying around.

January 12, 2016January 12, 2016 Peter Witkowski Pain & Suffering

A Pastor’s Response To The Recent Break-Ins.

Break in Over the last few weeks, our belief in Mayberry has been shaken. Car windows all throughout Eastman have being shattered. The crime spree is dominating our little Eastman new cycle (I.E. Facebook) because at some level we all affected by the crimes. More than petty cash was stolen. Our feelings of security, comfort, and safety have been snatched away from us. And now, we are left with fear, worry, and hurt.

So how do we respond? How do regain our feeling of security and comfort? Naturally, we should be wise. We should lock our car doors, take our wallets inside, and report suspicious activity to the police.

But what about our hearts and emotions? How do we regain our feelings of security, comfort, and safety? Thankfully, the Bible has a lot to say about crime and fear. Here are five things we can do refocus our hearts!

Remember Crime is Normal:

We live in a post Genesis 3 world. In other words, we live in a fallen world in habited by fallen people. And not too surprisingly, sinful people do sinful people things (like gossip, lie, and even steal). We can be 100% certain that people will disappoint us, harm us, and take our stuff. This is what people do apart from Christ. As Paul writes in Romans 10:12 “no one does good/not even one.” We should never place our hope in humanity. Rather, let’s place our hope in God! “He alone is my rock and my salvation/my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken” (Psalm 62:1). Don’t expect a fallen world to be good.

Examine Our Treasures

Being robbed is not fun. My vehicles have been broken into five times over the years. I’ve lost everything from CD players to gyms bags full of stinky clothes. And as much as I hate seeing my window busted out, I’ve come to realize that break-ins do have an upside. The help us see what’s in our hearts.

Jesus says in Mathew 6:20-21: “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

If we are troubled to our core by the loss of a gym bag, a CD player, or our wallet we may a bigger problem than the robbery. We may be living for stuff. And if we live for stuff that can be stolen, we are not living for Jesus. I don’t welcome theft. But when we do encounter it, we should stop and ask ourselves, “Where am I laying up treasure?”

Trust God

We are not our stuff. Just because God let someone steal from us doesn’t mean he has forsaken us. He very well might be using the events to teach us (even to admonish us). God’s ultimate goal for us is not too be happy, healthy, and content. Often such a lifestyle of peace and affluence keeps us prideful, self-assured, and independent of our creator. God wants us to have commune closely with Him. God alone is true happiness. We should trust in the God who loves us and is working everything together for our good (Rom. 8:28). Sure, we may lose our stuff. But in the end, we will have something far greater that can never be stolen: the righteousness of God!

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4).

Be Merciful

Don’t get angry. I’m not saying we skip down the street singing about the latest break-in. When we are sinned against, we naturally feel hurt. Sin is always linked to death and destruction. But the solution is not to seek our own vengeance or justice. Romans 12:19 says, that we are to “never avenge” ourselves because “”Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”” We are called to love our enemies. We are told to care for those who hurt us. Yes, we should want the police to prosecute criminals. We should want to see justice. But we trust God to execute that justice through the government.

We don’t do it. We should not attack made-up criminals on social media. We shouldn’t be planning what will do to the thief once he’s caught. Rather, we seek to minister to our enemies. And if we don’t know who they are, we pray for them waiting for an opportunity to show them the love of Christ.

Pray

Pray for the thief and his salvation. Ultimately, jail and counseling don’t fix people. The gospel changes people through the power of God. Pray for God to save the one who hurt you (Matt. 5:44). Pray for your enemies. Next, pray for your safety. Since God truly cares for us, we should appeal to him in times of trouble. Don’t worry about what could happen to you or your stuff. Entrust yourself to Jesus! “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on” (Luke 12:22). And lastly of all, pray for justice. God is a just God. He will vindicate the innocent and his children. Ask him work.

photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/13238706@N00/92520711″>Car vandalism</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/”>(license)</a>

February 17, 2015March 15, 2015 Peter Witkowski Discipleship

Helping Kids Use Technology At Church

The rapid growth of technology is leaving no cultural stone unturned including our families and kid’s ministries. When asked to look up a verse, kids today can quickly pull out a Kindle Fire, IPad, or smartphone. Middle schoolers are taking selfies on hayrides, grade schoolers want pictures of the slimy goo game to be posted on Facebook, and preschoolers are navigating smart phones with more comfort than their parents. Technology has reached the little people. As church leaders, Sunday school teachers, and parents, we must decide how to handle this increasing influx of gismos. Below are five principles that will help us determine when to allow kids to use that:

Remember technology is not inherently bad or good. Smart phones, tablets, and social media are all avenues of communication. And our God is all about communication. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Our concern is the content streaming through the technology. IPads can be a sinful distraction when our kids are posting selfies or playing Hay Day during the middle of a sermon. But, smartphones can also be a huge blessing when our kids use them to access scripture or to skype with a missionary a thousand miles away.
Don’t be afraid of what we don’t know. We all naturally drift to what we know and like, becoming products of our age or decade. Having crossed the 30 year threshold, I too am quickly calcifying. As I drive around, I’m increasingly playing the “Cool Kids” radio. Translation: I am no longer cool or in touch. But I don’t have to be scared of every new app or tablet. Even if I don’t fully understand the technology, I can still discern the content being used and its timing by asking thoughtful and non-accusing questions. I need to fight the sinful urge to judge that which is different from me. After all the church is not about our preferences. The church is God’s and is all about our Lord. Even when dealing with technology, we must fight against the desire to place our comfort above God’s glory.
Ask questions. Ask your kids to explain how such and such works. Ask them why they use it, and ask them to tell you who they are communicating with. Once we know what content is being accessed at what time, and for what purpose, we will be able to guide your kids in their use of technology. “No, Johnny you don’t need to Snapchat because you are selfishly disrupting the class to brag about how you destroyed your Twinkie.” “That’s great Susan, I had no idea you could highlight and save the verses we looked up today on your IPhone.”
Welcome good technology. God has used the printing press, radio, and the internet to spread his kingdom. It’s quite possible the next newfangled device our kid is using will further expand the kingdom of God. By embracing technology, we avoid offending kids (Telling kids to, “Put down your smart phone and read from the KJV” will cause them to be frustrated) and from making our immensely creative God appear to be dull and boring. God’s not opposed to new technology and the advance of science. And, we shouldn’t be either.
Place a premium on the Bible. Regardless of what our kids use on Sunday morning, I believe it’s important for us to use a good paper translation of the Bible when teaching. By touching the Bible pages, we clearly show our kids that the Bible is real and that the words we are speaking carry an authority far greater than Facebook.